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Configuring Recommended Diet Restrictions for a Diet Type

Kevin U
  • Updated

What is a Recommended Diet Restriction?

A diet type (e.g., Fat Restricted, Heart Healthy, etc.) can be configured to recommend that certain items be restricted. 

If a diet type is set up with recommended diet restrictions, then on the personal menu of a resident/patient with that diet type, any recommended restricted item is displayed with a warning icon (diet_restriction_icon.png), as per screenshot below. Hovering your cursor over the icon displays the restriction type that is applied. If the recommended restricted item is the result of a therapeutic substitute being offered for the regular menu item (as opposed to a personal menu customization such as a personal menu item), then you are prompted to access the extension grid of that regular menu item and change the substitute being offered.

diet_restriction_message.png

How is an Item Configured as a Recommended Restriction for a Diet Type?

You configure recommended restrictions by associating a diet type with either a preference group, an allergens group, or a menu category via the diet restriction function. Items in the associated preference group, allergens group or menu category will then be recommended as restrictions when the diet type is assigned to a resident/patient. 

For example, the Vegetarian LactoOvo diet type can be associated to the preference group “Pork Derived Products”. When an item in the "Pork Derived Products" preference group is assigned to the Vegetarian LactoOvo diet type in a menu item extension grid, then a diet conflict alert will appear on the personal menus (explained above) of any resident/patient assigned the Vegetarian LactoOvo diet type.  

diet_restriction_allergen_group.png
diet_restriction_preference_group.png

diet_restriction_menu_category.png

How is a Recommended Diet Restriction Different from a Do Not Serve (DNS) Item?

When an item is DNS, it is removed from a resident/patient's personal menu. 

An item that is restricted is not removed from a personal menu, but you are warned of the restriction and prompted to change the item. 

Creating a Recommended Diet Restriction

To create a recommended diet restriction, complete the following steps:

  1. From the left navigation sidebar, select Tools & Setup > Diet Orders. The Diet Order Setting screen appears with the Diets and Textures tab automatically open.
  2. Ensure the Diet Category is Standard.
  3. Click the name of the diet type to set up with restrictions. The diet type slide-out panel appears.
  4. Click the Diet Restrictions tab. 

    diet_restriction.png
     
  5. Click the Add New Do Not Serve button. The Do Not Serve pop-up appears.

    add_new_DNS.png
     
  6. Depending if you are recommending restrictions from a preference group, allergen group, or menu category, refer to the appropriate sub-section below.

Selecting an Allergen Group for a Recommended Diet Restriction

  1. Select the Allergens & Preference Groups option. 
  2. From the Allergens drop-down select the desired allergen group. 

    allergens.png
     
  3. In the Applies to Menu Categories field, you have the option of determining if items in the selected allergen group trigger an alert only if that item belongs to a specific menu category or categories.
  4. Click Add to close the pop-up.
  5. Click the Save button at the top right of the panel to apply your changes. The newly-listed restriction is listed in the Current Restrictions section.

    diet_restriction_allergen_group.png

Selecting a Preference Group for a Recommended Diet Restriction

  1. Select the Allergens & Preference Groups option. 
  2. From the Preference drop-down select the desired allergen group. 

    preference_group.png
     
  3. In the Applies to Menu Categories field, you have the option of determining if items in the selected preference group trigger an alert only if that item belongs to a specific menu category or categories. For example, if selecting the preference group “Sweets” to be restricted for the Heart Healthy diet type, you may only want the sweets to be recommended as restricted in the dessert menu category, but not recommended as restricted in other categories.
  4. Click Add to close the pop-up.
  5. Click the Save button at the top right of the panel to apply your changes. The newly-listed restriction is listed in the Current Restrictions section.

    diet_restriction_preference_group.png

Selecting a Menu Category for a Recommended Diet Restriction

  1. Select the Menu Categories option, and from the drop-down select the desired menu category or categories.

    add_new_DNS_menu_category.png
  2. Click Add to close the Do Not Serve pop-up.
  3. Click the Save button at the top right of the panel to apply your changes. The newly-listed restriction is listed in the Current Restrictions section. 

    diet_restriction_menu_category.png

Publishing/Unpublishing a Diet Restriction

By default a diet restriction for a diet type is automatically published in the system, meaning it will trigger alerts in the recipe extensions, menu extensions and personal menus in your MealSuite account and any child accounts.

An account that created a diet restriction has the ability to unpublish a diet restriction to not have it trigger alerts in its account and any child accounts. In addition, when a parent account unpublishes a diet restriction, that restriction will be hidden from viewing by any child accounts. 

To access a diet restriction to unpublish it or republish it, complete the following steps:

  1. Select Tools & Setup > Diet Orders. The Diet Order Setting screen appears with the Diets and Textures tab automatically open.
  2. Ensure the Diet Category is Standard.
  3. Click the name of the diet type you want to access. The diet type slide-out panel appears.
  4. Click the Diet Restrictions tab. 
  5. For a diet restriction you want to unpublish, click its green publish icon to change it to a black unpublish icon; the Status changes to Unpublished. For a diet restriction you want to publish, click its black unpublished icon to change it to a green publish icon; the Status changes to Published.

    green_published.png

    black_unpublished.png
  6. Click the Save button at top right of the panel to apply your changes.

Deleting a Diet Restriction

If your MealSuite account created a diet restriction, then that diet restriction can be deleted by your account. To do so:

  1. From the left navigation sidebar, select Tools & Setup > Diet Orders. The Diet Order Setting screen appears with the Diets and Textures tab automatically open.
  2. Ensure the Diet Category is Standard.
  3. Click the name of the diet type you want to access. The diet type slide-out panel appears.
  4. Click the Diet Restrictions tab. 
  5. For a diet restriction you want to delete, click its trash icon from the Actions column.
  6. Click the Save button at top right of the panel to apply your changes.

Where Diet Conflict Alerts Appear in the System

A diet type configured with restricted items will trigger diet conflict alerts in the following areas in MealSuite:

Recipe Extension Grids and Menu Item Extension Grids

  • When extending a recipe or menu item with therapeutic substitutes for a diet type that has a restriction, and you select a restricted substitute, the system triggers a warning message about the conflict (screenshot below). You have the option of cancelling the item to honour the diet restriction or ignoring the warning and keeping the restricted item.

    extension_restriction_warning.png
     

  • On the extension grid of a recipe or extension grid of a menu item, if a restricted item for a diet type had been kept, the extension cell displays the diet conflict alert icon to indicate that the selected item conflicts with that diet type.

    diet_type_restriction_icon.png

    Hovering your cursor over the diet restriction conflict alert displays the details of the conflict.

    diet_type_restriction_icon2.png

  • When viewing offerings for diet type/texture types on the menu day view, and a restricted item exists for the selected diet type, then the restricted item is indicated as "Do Not Serve" and appears in red text with the diet conflict icon (diet_conflict_icon.png) to alert you of the conflict.

    DNS_day_view_diet_restriction.png

    Hovering your cursor over the icon display details of the conflict.

    DNS_day_view_diet_restriction_hover.png